Introducing Red Glass

JN: So Liam, when I first met you, you were seven years old and playing the Cornet in the Gislingham School Brass Band.

You would play at the annual school Music Festival etc. and my memories of you in those days were your passion for music and you were the smallest boy in your year!

You then left Primary School to go to Hartismere High School in September 2012, and the next time I saw you, 10 months later; you were playing an Electric Guitar at the Summer Fair with your friend Jude on Drums – what happened?

Liam: Well, Jeff, the Cornet really started my musical career all those years ago and taught me the basics of what I needed to know. To be honest, I had never dreamed of playing the guitar back in primary school. Then my cousin, Troy Hails, started to play the drums which I took an interest in. Long story short, I taught myself the drums and carried on with the cornet, then when I went up to Hartismere School where I met a sixth-former Llewellyn Vann. Now, Llewellyn, me and Jude played in all the bands, orchestras and so on. Llewellyn also played most of the backing for the school music evenings on all instruments. By then, me and Llewellyn played all instruments but he played one I didn’t. The guitar. I remember I was watching him play some lead stuff one time and I thought, I want to be able to do that. So that year I asked for a guitar for my birthday and I got the Fender Stratocaster you mentioned earlier, and I loved it. I literally played for over an hour every day and I could just play it so easily. In fact, the first time you saw me and Jude play, I’d only been playing for 8 months. So without Ruth Ryan (who is my Cornet teacher), Troy Llewellyn and I wouldn’t be playing 24/7 and I wouldn’t be here talking to you.

JN: Now up to the present day, I once again saw you perform at the Gislingham Fair in July and you’ve now formed a band (Red Glass) and there’s are four of you. Tell me about the band and your style of music.

Liam: Well the covers we play can fit any category really, we play rock, blues rock, soft rock, pop rock, blues, …. the list goes on. The stuff we write ourselves, is heavily influenced by what we play covers of. For example, a few months ago, I wrote an intro that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Foo Fighters album, but the chorus could be similar to a Busted song. Ryan wrote a song which was inspired by Nickleback but could also be an Oasis track. We see song writing as just one big pick and mix where we can mix and match different styles and make our own style out of that.

With regards to the Band –

I’m from Gislingham, Jude is from Worlingworth, Ryan is from Botesdale and Alex is from Occold and we are all aged 15, and go to Hartismere School (Year 11).

I am the lead vocalist and lead guitarist and I started song writing a year ago and haven’t stopped writing since and in case you hadn’t guessed already, I’m mad about guitars!

The other Band members are: –
Jude Mills, he is the most accomplished musician of all of us. He plays trumpet and drums to a very high academic grade and plays many other instruments. He has his own mini-recording studio at his home.

Then there is Ryan Stanley on backing vocals. He is a huge fan of Nirvana, Oasis, and Foo Fighters, and you can always find him in the music room at school.

And finally, Alex Goodman plays Bass guitar. As well as playing guitar Alex also makes them. He has made a SG 6-string and a Fender Show Master. Alex loves playing live on stage and has progressed phenomenally since being in the band.

JN: How many guitars have you got, and what are they called?

Liam: I have 5 electric, 1 acoustic, 1 bass, 1 classical and an electro acoustic ukulele. Their names are Amber, Ebony, Rouge (as in French for red), Katrina, Violet, Raven, Jet and Sophie.

JN: Are they named after Girlfriends?

Liam: No! All of them – except Katrina, are related to colour. But readers, if you’re single about 15, looking for a rock star and having a guitar named after you, do get in touch!

JN: Liam, this isn’t a “Lonely hearts column” this is supposed to be serious “Rock and Roll journalism”. Do you have any more gigs planned?

Liam: Yes, we have a few private gigs such as Birthday parties and what-not. However, we are fundraising for the Thornam Magna bowls club at the Gislingham village hall on the 8th of October this year. £10 for entry, includes fish ‘n’ chips as well as a disco, a raffle and live music from us!

JN: So you’ve got the band, you’ve got the songs, you’ve got a recording studio, when are you going to record a CD?

Liam: Well, we hope to finish and rehearse the album up till Christmas and then start recording in the New Year.

JN: Great news! Keep us posted on its release and hopefully it will still be “cool” to talk to The Messenger?

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This website has been produced as a resource for the residents of Gislingham village. It enables organisations in the village to promote their activities, and provides residents with a forum to keep in touch with what’s happening and to make their own voice heard.